Movies

This September marks the cinematic release of Downton Abbey 3, the first instalment in the period drama franchise without the late great Dame Maggie Smith.The Oscar-winning star’s Dowager Duchess, Lady Violet Crawley, was killed off at the end of Downton Abbey: A New Era before the actress died. And according to Michelle Dockery, the third film will be a “beautiful tribute” to the screen icon.Not only that, but the Lady Mary actress has confirmed Hugh Bonneville’s bombshell last year that Downton Abbey really is the end of the road.In a recent interview, Dockery said it was always meant to be a trilogy and added: “I’m really excited to see the final film." She then shared what the final day on set was like.Speaking with Collider, she said: “We really relished every minute. It being the ...

Today marks 60 years since the death of Winston Churchill at the age of 90 after suffering his eighth stroke.The iconic wartime hero is widely regarded as Britain's greatest leader, after leading us to victory in World War 2, and his incredible life has been depicted in TV shows and films countless times.A-list names like Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon, and Timothy Spall have adopted his famous looks, voice, and personality, and some have received huge accolades for their portrayal.Read below for our top 10 greatest portrayals of Winston Churchill, and let us know who you think is the greatest Churchill actor in our comments section.

This Friday marks the 60th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill’s death aged 90.The World War 2 prime minister, once voted the greatest Briton by the general public, rightly continues to be a historical icon, with his bust now back in President Donald Trump’s Oval Office.Over the years, Churchill has been depicted many times on screen, with Gary Oldman’s Oscar-winning performance in Darkest Hour focusing on his early days as PM.Aside from the battle to defeat Hitler and Nazi Germany, another underdog part of Churchill’s life were his Wilderness Years.The great man served as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the late 1920s and was out of office for the next decade.During this period, Churchill was considered to be in “the winter of his days” as he continued as an MP, arguing that Hitler...

Additionally, Hollywood has taken a huge swipe at the re-election of Donald Trump with a Best Actor Oscar nomination for Sebastian Stan. He stars in The Apprentice, which follows the 45th and 47th president during his early business career in 1970s New York when mentored by the man who taught him to win at all costs. The Academy Award nod particularly stands out post-Trump's return to the Oval Office as, during production, no major studio would touch the contentious independent film, which received a limited cinematic release in the US ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The Apprentice is particularly controversial as it features a scene with the future Commander-in-Chief raping his then-wife Ivana. She accused him of rape when they were divorcing in 1990 but later distanced hersel...

James Bond star Sean Connery turned down a role later in his career that could have won him an Academy Award.The star who also appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Untouchables, and The Rock, has a Hollywood legacy rivalled by few. While he may have picked up Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards in 1987 for The Untouchables, Connery could have bagged a second win as Bes Actor just a few years later.But he, along with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, were considered for the role which would later bag its performer an Oscar with one of the shortest performances ever nominated. Not only did the film win an Academy Award for its lead star, but managed to complete a "Big 5" sweep.The "Big 5" is a win in the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Sc...

Lily-Rose Depp left horror fans asking the same question after her audition tape for Nosferatu was released online. The American actress stars alongside Nicholas Hoult and Emma Corrin in the gothic film.Based on the classic novel Dracula, the movie is set in the 1800s and has received mixed reviews from critics—scoring 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.However, Depp's audition has since been shared, and you would usually expect tapes to show actors in a rehearsal room or sometimes at home.Fans were left confused when watching Lily-Rose audition for the part of Ellen Hutter as she appeared to be reading out a scene at home and recording herself on a webcam.Film nerds have suggested in the comments section that Depp's tape looks like it was made on a Zoom call. One follower typed, “Why was it...

This month marks what would have been Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday and at the proclamation ceremony at Graceland there were some big teases.Elvis Presley Enterprises is developing new Elvis films to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the King’s death in 2027.And as previously teased by Elvis biopic director Baz Luhrmann, there’s a new project afoot featuring unseen footage of the King.Posting a video of himself outside Graceland, the filmmaker announced his documentary film, which will be released in cinemas.Sharing the first look teaser trailer below, he wrote: “I’m really thrilled that I am finally able to announce that we have all been working hard and collaborating on unearthing and showcasing a treasure trove of unseen footage, sound and other materials to create something spec...

Leigh Whannell, the acclaimed director of The Invisible Man and Wolf Man, has shared his perspective on why Universal Pictures' ambitious Dark Universe project ultimately failed.In an exclusive interview with LADbible, Leigh discussed the studio's challenges while trying to emulate the success of Marvel's cinematic universe.Universal first announced the launch of its Dark Universe in 2017. It was to feature monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Invisible Man, and the Wolf Man.The franchise was to begin with The Mummy, and Universal planned to continue the project with a series of other horror films, including The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, and Wolf Man.The characters in these flicks would exist within one shared universe, meaning actors who starred in one film...

It’s being hailed as a modern masterpiece on par with The Godfather, and now The Brutalist finally arrives in UK cinemas this week.Shot for less than $10 million, the almost four-hour epic won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and took home Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director at the Golden Globes.The period drama is the bookies’ favourite to repeat these big wins at the BAFTAs and is expected to do the same at the Oscars in March. So what’s all the fuss about?Written, produced and directed by the actor Brady Corbet, the film stars Adrien Brody again playing a Jewish Holocaust survivor after his Academy Award win for The Pianist 20 years ago.This time around, he portrays a Hungarian immigrant called László Tóth. Having survived the Nazi death camps, where he was separat...

When a new Commander-in-Chief enters the Oval Office, changes are always made, from carpet and curtains to pictures and portraits; however, one in particular caused a stir.When President Barack Obama moved into the White House in 2009, he removed a bronze bust of Sir Winston Churchill in part to make way for one of Martin Luther King Jr.When President Donald Trump began his first term in 2017, he brought Churchill’s head back in as a sign of the special relationship and because of his great admiration for the World War 2 prime minister.It was then removed again when President Joe Biden took power, and it has now been reinstated this week as the 47th president begins his second term in office.Around the release of the film Darkest Hour, Churchill’s grandson Lord Soames previously told Ex...